Cooling and serving system



Dec. 27, 1955 c. E. TUNT 2,728,207

COOLING AND SERVING SYSTEM Filed May 26. 1953 0 PUMPS l0 /,5 INVENTOR a5 fun/Z BY 'i m ZvW ATTORNEY5 CONDENSER United States PatetitiO 1 2,728,207 COOLING AND SERVING SYSTEM Charles E. Tunt, Bridgeport, Ohio Application May 26, 1953, Serial No. 357,541 6 Claims. (Cl. 62141) This invention appertains to refrigeration systems and more particularly to refrigeration or cooling systems for beverages.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an effective and inexpensive system for conveying cooled beverages from a supply source to a dispensing point.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a cooling and refrigeration system for use in the dispensing of beverages, which does not require any pre-cooling of the beverages at the supply source, but which cools the beverages during the passage of the beverage from the supply source to a dispensing point.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple and compact cooling system, which does not interfere with the normal dispensing of beverages and which does not require any complex arrangement of refrigeration and supply lines.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein the figure is an elevational view partly in section of my improved cooling and dispensing system.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the numerals, 10 and 12 designate beverage containers which are shown as seated in the collar or basement below the floor 14, above which the dispensing faucets 16 and 18 are located. The beverages contained in the containers 10 and 12, many may be of alcoholic or carbonic gas content, that is, effervescent beverages. Two containers, 10 and 12, respectively, are shown for example only, since there may be any number of beverages dispensed and cooled during such dispensing by my cooling system which is flexible for such purpose.

As shown in the drawing pipes 18 and 20 are connected to the tops of the containers 10 and 12 and are in fluid communication with the interior of the containers for supplying carbonic gas or filtered air under pressure to the containers for dispensing the beverages therefrom. The pipes 18 and 20 are connected to pumps (not shown) and the carbonic gas or air under pressure supplied by the pumps to the containers 10 and 12 through the pipes 18 and 20, is controlled and regulated by regulators 22 and 24 provided in the pipes.

Disposed vertically through the floor 14 and extending from a point below the floor to a point thereabove, is a plastic tube 26 which has a lower head 28, diametrically larger than the tube 26 and is closed. A flexible conduit 30 connects the side 32 of the head 28 to the container 12, with a portion 34 of the conduit depending into the container 12. The conduit 30 establishes fluid communication between the container 12 and the tube 26 so that the beverage in the container 12 is forced under pressure through the conduit 30 into the tube 26. A flexible conduit 36 has one end 38 extending into the container 10 and its other end connected to the horizontal section 40 of the pipe 42 that is disposed concentrically within the tube 26. The horizontal section 40 of the pipe projects through a suitable fluid tight opening formed in the wall 32 of the lower head 38. The tube 26 is formed at its upper end with a lateral extension 44 that terminates in an enlarged upper head 46. The head 46 is formed with an inner wall 48 that is provided with an opening 50 to establish fluid communication between the tube 26 and the interior of the head 46.

The head has an outer wall 52 and a frusto-conical bathe 54 is aflixed at its major end to the wall and projects laterally thereof interior of the head.

The baffle 54 has a cylindrical forwardly projecting extension 56 formed on its minor end which extension extends through the inner wall 48 of the head 46. An evaporator tube 58, which may be formed from stainless steel, extends through the walls 52 and 48 and is disposed within the baffle and the extension 56 thereof, which is concentric to the tube. An expansion valve 60 is provided in the tube 58, externally of the head 46 and the tube 58 extends down into the tubing 26 concentric thereto and parallel with the pipe 42. The tube 58 extends through the bottom 60 of the lower head 28 and is connected to a drier coil 62, from which an outlet pipe 64 extends. The refrigerant gas flows through the tube 58 in a counter-flow direction to the beverages flowing upwardly in the tubing 26 and in the pipe 42 to the dispensing nozzles or faucets 16 and 18, that are mounted on the upper wall of the head 46.

An electrical control 66 is provided to maintain the temperature of the beverages from the container 12, that is the beverage flowing in the tubing 26, at the desired temperature. The beverage in the tubing 26, from the container 12, controls the temperature of the beverage in the pipe 42. The control 66 is of conventional type and is actuated by a control bulb 68 that is housed in a housing 70 inset from the wall 48 and disposed within the head 46. The control bulb 68 may be of the thermal contact type or other conventional type. Electrical leads 72 and 74 extend from the control 66, which controls the running time of the condenser unit 75 that provides the refrigeration of the system.

It can be seen that the bafile 54 and its extension 56 serves to reflect the refrigerant temperature from the evaporator tube 58 at the upper head 46 and causes the refrigerant to function at closer super heat than actually exists, thus preventing freezing at the upper head 46 and maintaining narrower temperature differential throughout the system. Since the tube 58 is enclosed within the baffle 54 and its extension 56, the latter also serve to insulate the tube through an area where the lowest tem perature exists.

It is understood, of course, that the super heat of an evaporator is the temperature differential between the refrigerant inlet and outlet, and the provision of the insulating bafile tends to reduce the degree of variation.

In use, the refrigerant flows through the tube 58 and is expanded by the expansion valve 60 as it flows into the head 46 and down the tube 58 to the drier coil 62 and on to condensing unit 75. The gas flows in a counterflow direction than the beverages from the containers 10 and 12. The beverages from the containers are forced under pressure into the lower head 28. The beverage from the container 12 fills the tube 26 and flows through the tube and through the opening 50 in the wall 48 of the upper head to the dispensing faucet 18. The beverage from the container 10 flows through the pipe 42 to the dispensing faucet 16, that is connected to the pipe at the upper head 46.

It can be thus seen that the beverage from the container 12 is cooled during the flow through the tube 26, by flowing around the evaporator tube 58 and that this beverage cools the beverage in the pipe 42.

While only one pipe 42 has been illustrated, it is obvious that other pipes may be provided in the tube 26 connecting various supply containers to faucets on the upper head 46 and that the beverages in such pipes would be cooled by the beverage from the container 12 in a manner similar to the cooling of the beverage from the container 10. Thus, the beverage in pipe 42 and beverages in similar pipes are bathed directly by the beverage from the container 12 passing through the tube 26 and being cooled by convection from the evaporator tube 58.

The lower head 28 of the tubing 26, drier coil 62, containers 10 and 12 and their associated tubes and pipes are housed in a housing 76, that is provided in the basement or cellar below the floor 14. A drier coil 78 is installed in the drier 62 to maintain a holding temperature Within the housing 76. The drier coil 78 comprises a part of the evaporator in which the liquid refrigerant is expanded to vapor, and in so doing absorbs heat from the Wall of the coil. In the present system, the drier coil 78 takes advantage of a spill-over of the refrigerant from the main part of the evaporator and is connected in series therewith. The drier coil 78 may be of the forced air or gravity type.

Adjustment of the drier coil is achieved by manual manipulation of the expansion valve 60 to balance the system at desired operating temperatures and to maintain the desired temperature. The adjustment of the expansion valve controls the amount of refrigerant whereby the refrigerant wets as much of the drier coil as is necessary to maintain the holding temperature.

While the system has been illustrated as a basement installation, the system is equally well adaptable for use in an establishment where no basement space is available inasmuch as housing 76 may house the entire system.

While the preferred form of this invention has been illustrated and described it is obvious that other forms may be realized so that limitation is sought only in accordance with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A cooling system for cooling beverages during dispensing thereof comprising at least two beverage containers, and at least two nozzle means, a tubing for conveying one of the beverages and having means connecting it to the container for said beverage, one of said nozzle means being connected to the tubing to dispense the beverage therefrom, a conduit connected to said other container and extending concentrically within the tubing and connected to the other nozzle means, an evaporator tube extending concentrically in said tubing, an expansion valve in said evaporator tube exterior of the tubing and a drier coil connected to said evaporator tube exterior of the tubing, the beverage in the tubing flowing around the evaporator tube in heat transfer relation thereto and being cooled thereby and bathing the conduit to cool the other beverage. 1

2. A cooling system for cooling beverages during dispensing thereof comprising at least two beverage containers and at least two nozzle means, a tubing for conveying one of the beverages and having means connecting it to the container for said beverage, one of said nozzle means being connected to the tubing to dispense the beverage therefrom, a conduit connected to said other container and extending concentrically within the tube and connected to the other nozzle means, an evaporator tube extending concentrically in said tubing, an expansion valve in said evaporator tube exterior of the tubing, the beverage in the tubing flowing around the evaporator tube in heat transfer relation thereto and being cooled thereby and bathing the conduit to cool the other beverage, a head on the tube carrying the nozzle means and a bafiie means in said head circumposed in spaced relation on the evaporater tube.

3. A cooling system for cooling beverages during dispensing thereof comprising at least two beverage containers, and at least two nozzle means, a tubing for conveying one of the beverages and having means connecting it to the container'for said beverage, one of said nozzle means being connected to the tubing to dispense the bev erage therefrom, a conduit connected to said other container and extending concentrically within the tubing and connected to the other nozzle means, an evaporator tube extending concentrically in said tubing and a drier coil connected to and in series with said evaporator tube exterior of the tubing, the beverage in the tubing flowing around the evaporator tube in heat transfer relation thereto and being cooled thereby and bathing the conduit to cool the other beverage, said containers being disposed below the nozzle means, and pressure means for forcing the beverages from the containers through the tubing and conduit.

4. A cooling system for cooling beverages during dispensing thereof comprising at least two beverage containers, and at least two nozzle means, a tubing. for conveying one of the beverages and having means connecting it to the container for said beverage, one of said nozzle means being connected to the tubing to dispense the beverage therefrom, a conduit connected to said other container and extending concentrically Within the tubing and connected to the other nozzle, means, an evaporator tube extending concentrically in said tubing, an expansion valve in said evaporator tube exterior of the tubing and a drier coil connected to and in series with said evaporator tube exterior of the tubing, the beverage in the tubing flowing around the evaporator tube in heat transfer relation thereto and being cooled thereby and bathing the conduit to cool the other beverage, said container being disposed below the nozzle means, and pressure means for r'orcin the beverages from the container through the tubing and conduit, said evaporator tube having a refrigerant gas flowing therethrough in a counter-flow direction to the dew of the beverages.

5. A cooling system for cooling beverages during dispensing thereof comprising at least two beverage containers, and at least two nozzle means, a tubing for conveying one of the beverages and having means connecting it to the container for said beverage, one of said nozzle means being connected to the tubing to dispense the beverage therefrom, a conduit connected to said other container and extending concentrically within the tubing and connected to the other nozzle means, an evaporator tube extending concentrically in said tubing and a drier coil connected to and in series with said evaporator tube exterior of the tubing, the beverage in the tubing flowing around the evaporator tube in heat transfer relation thereto and being cooled thereby and bathing the conduit to cool the other beverage, said tubing being vertically disposed, a head on the upper end of the tubing carrying the nozzle means and a frusto-conical bathe in said head and having a cylindrical extension on its minor end, said evaporator tube being disposed concentrically within the battle and extension.

6. A cooling system for cooling beverages during dispensing thereof comprising at least two beverage containers, and at least two nozzle means, a tubing for conveying one of the beverages and having means connecting it to the container for said beverage, one of said nozzle means being connected to the tubing to dispense the beverage therefrom, a conduit connected to said other container and extending concentrically within the tubing and connected to the other nozzle means, an evaporator tube extending concentrically in said tubing and a drier coil connected to and in series with said evaporator tube exterior of the tubing, the beverage in the tubing flowing around the evaporator tube in heat transfer relation thereto and being cooled thereby and bathing the conduit to cool the other beverage, said tubing being vertically disposed, a head on the upper end of the tubing carrying the nozzle means and a frusto-conical bafiie in said head and having a cylindrical extension on its minor end, said evaporator tube being disposed concentrically within the bafie and extension, the lower end of said tubing being closed and having fluid tight openings to receive a connection from the one container and the conduit and to permit passage of the evaporator tube therethrough.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,141,221 Panagopoulos Dec. 27, 1938 2,244,327 Brudgage June 3, 1941 2,446,853 Savidge Aug. 10, 1948 2,447,769 Pringey Aug. 24, 1948 2,485,610 Kromer Oct. 25, 1949 2,598,751 Berkowitz June 3, 1952 

